Firing up Gene Hunt: Jump They Say

Where is the follow-up to the excellent Life on Marsand Ashes to Ashes TV series? It’s been too long since Alex Drake, Gene Hunt and that Quattro fired up our screens. When the final episode of Ashes to Ashes aired in 2010, we were told it was the end for Hunt and co. All the loose ends had been tied up, there was nowhere left for the story to go.

Which probably explains why The Laughing Gnome prequel rumour began to gather pace. But we don’t want a 1960s version – we want something from the 1990s. And PetrolBlog is firing up a half-hearted campaign to get it commissioned. Right here, right now.

The quite brilliant Life on Mars was set in 1973, with the equally great follow-up, Ashes to Ashes moving from Manchester to London and set in 1981. PetrolBlog suggests that the new series is set in the mid-1990s – perhaps 1996. Keeping with the tradition, a David Bowie track should lend its name to the series, so the 1993 hit, Jump They Say, would do just fine.

In fact, considering this was Bowie’s last top ten hit until 2013, it would be rather apt.

But actually, what really matters to PetrolBlog, is the choice of Gene Hunt’s car. His red Audi Quattro became synonymous with Ashes to Ashes, much more so than his Ford Cortina in Life on Mars. In fact, it almost managed to upstage Keeley Hawes. Almost.

Choosing Hunt’s car for Jump They Say is rather tricky, so it’s probably best to list some of the no-nos. It’s hard to imagine Gene Hunt driving anything French, or Italian for that matter – he needs something with more grit, more bite. He doesn’t strike PetrolBlog as a convertible or small coupé kind of guy either. Face it – Gene Hunt needs something big, brutish and brash. Come on, “Fire up the Ka” really doesn’t work, does it?

So that’s the list of potential cars to choose from. All we need now is for Gene Hunt to choose his favourite and the small matter of the BBC commissioning the series. Just make sure ‘Bolly Knickers’ gets a starring role, eh?

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The chief waffler and founder of PetrolBlog in 2010. Has a rather unhealthy obsession with cars from the 80s and 90s, and is on a one-man mission to collect the cars nobody else wants. Also likes tea and Hobnobs.

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

Jamie

Ok so I realise this is very late, but gene’s next car actually heavily alluded to in the close of the final episode. Gene picks up a brochure for a Merc 190 in the final scene, after he reruns to Fenchurch east.

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

Jdceee

Nice idea. I remember there were rumors of a possible film to finish off the story. Seeing as there was an 8 year jump between Mars and Ashes (73-81), I’d say it would make sense to do roughly the same for the leap between Ashes (which ended in 1983) and whatever this might be called (I think Miracle Goodnight would be a fitting song to name it after). I’d like to see it set somewhere in the EARLY, grungier 1990s- between 1991 and 1993. Lets say 1993 just because that would fit with Both our choices for Bowie songs (actually the iconic 90s band Nirvana did notably cover a Bowie song, “The Man Who Sold The World” [again in 1993) so that might even make for a clever option). And call me nuts but for some reason I just think it would be hilarious and not actually that far-fetched to see Gene Hunt bombing through the streets of London in a 91-93 Chevy Caprice police package. American? Yes. Enormous even by American standards? Yes. But not really unlike Hunt in it’s brashness. Also just a very good patrol car all-around. And if that seems just a bit too off the wall (I won’t be offended) then I think a more sensible suggestion would be a VW Corrado… yes that might me better.